Replacement Keyboard Project Update

[cheshirenoir]

Hey @Scouter3D, any updates? If you've successfully reverse engineered the keyboard interface, I'll hold off on any more research...

(I'm still interested in doing a "black box" with a PS/2 port and 2 DE 9 sockets, so you can replace the original controllers with a PS/2 keyboard and a pair of Megadrive control pads. That way I can have my originals as display pieces but actually be able to play 2 player games)

Chesh

[Scouter3d]

Hi cheshirenoir, our interface works very fine for PS/2 keyboard and 1 DB9 joystick (the joystick is more of a little bonus, not enough pins left on the Arduino Uno for a second DB9 joystick), at the moment i am testing the timing with all the "serial debug development bits" removed... may still take some time because of too little time for my hobbies :0)
cheers, TOM:0)

[cheshirenoir]

No problem. I'll hold off for now then.
Depending on your code, it might be worth porting it across to something like the Teensy ++ 2.0. (I have one of these)
44 I/O, compatible with the Arduino IDE (With plugin) and cheap too.

Chesh

[cheshirenoir]

hey TOM,
Did you ever finish your keyboard adapter?

Chesh

[Scouter3d]

Hi, sorry for the delay - i am still working on it... had a lot of other things to do, but i have more time in September... :0)

[cheshirenoir]

Ah good to know. My big next time period is January so you're still ahead of me. I've accumulated far too many other retro projects...
Today I'm hoping to have a look at building a homebrew Genesis controller to Atari standard adapter using an off the shelf Arduino Pro Mini.

No idea if it'll work...

[Scouter3d]

Hi, good news => finally i began with the PCB design...

I decided to use Fusion360 (for the first time... so it will need learning ;0)) i choose Fusion360 because i used Eagle a few years ago for the CSL Cart and i guess the concept is still there... and i use Fusion360 for my 3D print designs...

Cheers, TOM:0)

[cheshirenoir]

If you release the schematic, I can port it to KiCAD as well.

[Scouter3d]

Hi,

i have taken the first hurdle and created the schematic!
After watching a lot of tutorials i have changed my mind and now used KiCad... simply because there is such a broad userbase and a lot of Vintage computing projects use it, so i decided to lern it ;0)

here is my first go...
next things on the TODO:
switching the Arduino UNO to a NANO on the Prototype and see if it still works ;0)
Changing the schematic to NANO also
PCB design...

Cheers, TOM:0)

[MADrigal]

That is absolutely cool!!!